 in the weird circle. In this cave, by the restless sea, we are met to call from out the past stories, strange, and weird. Bellkeeper, hold the bell, so all may know we are gathered again in the weird circle. To the past, phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale, the duel without honor. Go now, Major Lexus, he must rest. Yes, Father. This way. Has he told you nothing then about himself? Here at the monastery we never ask questions. How much he's changed? As radically as my opinion of him, one side has slighted him intensely, Father. Oh, not Captain Zodomirsky. Oh, yes. Sit down, Major. Or perhaps you'd rather not tell me. Oh, no. No, I'd like to tell you. It was when Zodomirsky came to Valines from St. Petersburg, dashing, self-confident, a skilled dualist with pistol and saber. And he had a way with women. Yes. Yes, that brought about much of his disfavor with his fellow officers. Of course, you're probably unfamiliar with military matters, Father, but we had an unwritten law in our garrison. Officers, regardless of rank, with seniority of service on the post, had an unchallenged field with the women of their choice. A sort of a method for eliminating squabbles among the men. Well, there was a lieutenant's stam on the post who had coveted the vacancy which the captain had filled. He had known the captain at St. Petersburg. It happened that stam had caught the most beautiful girl in the region, Mariana Ravinsky, for months before Zodomirsky's arrival. So, naturally, when the captain began usurping the lieutenant's place with Mademoiselle Ravinsky, there was bound to be trouble. Things couldn't possibly go on that way for long without stam taking action, which he finally did. He went direct to Mariana. Oh, Lieutenant Stan. Good evening, Mariana. Good evening. I presume, Lieutenant, you have a pressing thought on your mind coming here so abruptly. I have. Well... Mariana, I had to talk to you. Yes? Mariana, you know how much I love you. I'd do anything in the world to make you happy. You're hurting my hand, Lieutenant. Tell me that you love me too. Say you'll marry me. Please, my hand. But I don't love you, Lieutenant Stan. You could learn to love me. Do you have any feelings for me whatsoever? As a friend, yes, as... It's someone else, then. It is. It's Captain Zodomirsky. What does it matter? It is not you. Zodomirsky. You've been seeing him again. I don't see where all this is getting us. You know it's against garrison rules for a newcomer to court the lady friend of another officer. Yet you've been seeing him frequently since he arrived from St. Petersburg. Am I to be tied by ridiculous military rules, too? It is an unwritten law of the garrison. Zodomirsky has the courage to break so ridiculous a regulation. Am I to forbid him to see me? Is that much more to his credit? He is a sensible man. Then you have been seeing him. As I suspected. How much more of this inquisition must I stand? Of course I've been seeing him. I find him a very interesting man. And a rich officer. Yes, but that matters little. He is not so ill-mannered as to pry into my private affairs. You and your spying. I want no more of it. You hear? Mariana, calm yourself. Your heart, you know. Well, not you care about my heart. Coming here, antagonizing me. Telling me of your silly garrison rules. Am I to adjust my life to stupid regulations? You, soldiers, consider honorable? You and your honor. Please, Mariana, don't excite yourself. I will if I want to. I suppose you consider it honorable to pry into a woman's secret heart. Just for your own selfish reasons. It was honorable of you to cross-examine me like this. It was... What is it? Nothing. You're so white. I told you your heart wouldn't stand it. Here, sit down. Thank you. Is there anything I can bring you? No, no. Water perhaps? No, no. I... I know myself. It will pass in a moment. See? I feel better already. You must be more careful. Please, Lieutenant Stam. Go now. But, Mariana... All right, Mariana. But let me tell you something. If I can't have you, no other man can have you either. Leave this house. Very well, Mariana. Good night. Oh, Captain Zanemirski. Lieutenant Stam. Breaking regulations again. But there is no law which forbids me seeing Madam Izelle Ravenski? Quite right. Only a code among the officers. Are you insinuating that I am... Only reminding you, Captain. Gentlemen! I will tolerate no quarreling in my house. Lieutenant Stam, please go as I asked you to. Very well, Mariana. As you wish. Good night, then. Good night, Captain Zanemirski. Come in, Captain Zanemirski. I've been expecting you. Your hand, Madam Izelle. You're pardoned. I wanted no scene. Don't mention it anymore. Dinner is almost ready. But, Mariana, you look so pale. Has anything happened? No, no, nothing. But it has. That's Stam. He did something to you. No, I assure you, George. If he so much as lays a hand on you, I'll cut him to pieces. Please don't say that. I can't bear to think of you fighting. But, Mariana, fighting is part of my life. It is only that I don't wish to see you hurt. I appreciate your concern, my sweet. Promise me. You won't fight him. That I can't do. But I can promise you my love. All of my love, Mariana. Oh, my darling. Oh, you grow more beautiful every day. I confess it was then I became as incensed with Captain Zanemirski's flagrant disregard of garrison customs as the other officers were. But Zanemirski went on seeing Mariana. It was inevitable that the antagonism between him and Lieutenant Stam would break into open hostilities. I remember how bitter Stam was that night it happened. We were in the officers' quarters, passing time before dinner and playing at the car. Hardly think it's as bad as that, Lieutenant Stam. Didn't he come here to this very room, Major Alexis, on his first day in full dress and unheard of display? Yes, that's very true. And that house he bought cost a pretty penny with its rifle range and its library indeed. Even one's enemy isn't entitled to his own taste, you know. I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover money was responsible for his appointment of Captain here on the post. Now, careful, Stam. Bear your little enmities. We know of your affairs of the heart and understand them. But no discrediting the service, please. I tell you the man's a showman, nothing more. And I knew him at St. Petersburg. A dualist? Well, he's yet to prove himself in our eyes. I shall personally see to it that he gets that opportunity. I shall... Good evening, gentlemen. Oh, good evening. I came for dinner. If I'm interrupting a game, I... Oh, no, no. Nonsense, Captains of the Mesquite. Come sit down. But I don't mean to interrupt. You came at an opportune moment, Captain. We were just talking about you. Oh? About your skill as a dualist. Of course, I had to tell of your exploits at St. Petersburg. I sincerely hope I can live up to any reputation you have helped build up. You misunderstand, Captain. While these gentlemen extol the virtues of dueling, I'm not quite in agreement with him. Dueling is an accepted practice here, is it not? When one's honored at stake, yes. Professional dueling, no. Then I don't think I see what a... Let me demonstrate. A pack of cards, please. Here you are. Thank you. There. Draw one, Captain. But what do... Now, draw one. Go ahead. I'll match it. That's it. What have you? King of Spades. Here's mine. An ace of hearts. Too bad for you if we've been betting. Forgive me. A little trick of palming I learned long ago. Now, do you see what I mean? No, not exactly, but... You have a shooting range, Captain, haven't you? I have. You practice with the pistol. Daily. And with the sabre and foil whenever I can find a worthy opponent. That's exactly the point. You practice regularly. Why? Why does a gambler practice card tricks? To become proficient. To be able to outwit amateurs. And I practice to become a skillful dualist, is that it? Something like that. Gentlemen, am I to stand here and be insolvent? With one as skillful as you, Captain Sonomyski, dueling becomes not a redress for an insult to your honor. It becomes plain and simple. Assassination. Gentlemen, this man is mad. You may think so if you wish. He knows I will not challenge him. I am a match for him in any of the weapons of individual combat. He knows that from St. Petersburg. He knows it would rarely be murder to force him to fight me. Major Alexis, I appeal to you. What can I do, Captain? I am a newcomer here. I bear no malice toward anyone. Yet he finds it proper to insult me. Knowing I cannot challenge him and amateur, as it were, and live with my own conscience. What have you to say to that, Lieutenant Stam? I have not refused to accept any challenge he might give. But the odds are all against you. If we fight, Captain Sonomyski's way, yes. Well, how else do you propose to fight? Speak up, Stam, and stop smiling so smugly. I maintain the captain is courageous only when he fights on his own terms. With his own weapons. In ways familiar to himself. Name your weapons. Name your methods. Patience. That is what I'm about to do. Then we shall see whether you're quite so eager to fight. No conditions you impose can stop me from bringing you to account for your insults. Then I propose that we use pistols to be fired with the barrels not more than six inches from each other's heart. One of the pistols to be loaded, the other to contain only a cap. This is absurd. Those are my conditions. Major, I appeal to you. Is this dueling? It is madness, I think. This poor fellow is... Well, I know what has twisted his mind against me. I'm afraid, Captain Zadamiyski, you've brought this upon yourself. You know our customs here and your attitude about them. I'm sure the men will all agree with me. There you see. Very well I accept. I'm afraid of no men living. Very well. I shall be your aide, Lieutenant Stam. Have I a friend, a second for me? Count on me, Captain. As regimental doctor, I must be there anyhow. Thank you, Dr. Belayev. What is the place? The tomb of the two brothers. Very well. The time I presume is dawn. It is. I shall be there promptly at dawn. So, the time for this outrageous duel was set. And on the night before, Mariana, a long cave perhaps snugly about her, knocked on Captain Zadamiyski's door. The night was dark and from the sky fell sheets of silver rain. Mariana! Well, aren't you going to ask me in, George? Yes, just of course. Come in. You're entrenched here. Let me take your coat. Come inside. There's a fire in the library. I was writing some letters. George! What is it, Mariana? Why are you here? You'll catch your death of cold out in this weather. Midnight. Sit over here. There. Now, tell me what's wrong. Please, George, stop acting. I know. Know? Know what? About you and Stam, about tomorrow. Why didn't you tell me, George? Why? Well, I hope to spare you. Spare me? When I may not see you again, ever? Don't you suppose I want every minute with you I can have? I only thought. Oh, George. George, I love you so much. I can't bear the thought of anything happening to you. Please, Mariana, don't upset yourself. George, please. Please don't go through with this. We can go away from here, anywhere. But, darling, my honor is at stake. Honor? What is honor about this so-called duel? There's nothing more than want and destruction of human life. Please, George. Must I beg you to come away with me? Mariana, I can't. But your life belongs to me now, too. Oh, don't you think that much of me? In the name of heaven, Mariana, stop torturing me. I love you with all my heart, but can't you see me a skillful duelist to refuse Stam's conditions? That would be an admission that I fight only when they are just stacked on my side. And that would be cowardly. I could not live with myself. It would eat at my conscience until... George! George, I commend you not to go through with it. Mariana, I love you even more for what you're trying to do, but I can't do what you ask. But even you would be ashamed of me. Could you possibly love a dishonorable man? I suppose you're right, George. I wouldn't love you the less, but you would come to hate me, George. George, whatever happens, remember, I shall always love you, always. I will think of you every minute, Mariana. Goodbye, my love. I'll be waiting for you at my window tomorrow, waiting and watching for you to write back to me. Until tomorrow then, darling. Until tomorrow. You all right, Captain Zodomirski? Yes. I see your stamina and the others are already here. There they are. Good morning, Dr. Belayev. Good morning, Major Alexis. Captain Zodomirski. Major. If you are ready, then, gentlemen, your sabers, plant them here, about a pace apart. That's it. Who gives the word to fire, gentlemen? Major Alexis, do me the honor. Surely, Captain. Stand behind your sabers, gentlemen. Lieutenant Stam has finished the pistols. If Captain Zodomirski is ready, we shall load them. Oh, that is unnecessary. One has a live ball, the other is not loaded. Lieutenant Stam, do you know which is which? It doesn't matter. Zodomirski can choose first. This one, then, gentlemen. Take the other, Stam. Ready, gentlemen? We are waiting, Major. You are very brave, Zodomirski. One. I saw Mariana watching for you at her window. Two. But she will not see you right back, Captain. Three. You drew a blank, Captain Zodomirski. Fire in God's name, fire. That is for me to decide whether I fire or not. Quickly stop this silly talk, fire. I have no desire to kill you, but I've proven my point. You are a skilled dualist, but under these conditions, your skill has been useless. Say it decided that you should die and not I. You haven't insulted me. I could have cut you to ribbons or put a bullet through your heart at 20 paces. But I accepted your terms. Fire. I have nothing more to say to you. Major Alexis, judge this. All I want of him is a promise not to be so quick to fight duals because of some silly whim. Tell him acceptance of such conditions cannot mar his honor. Captain Zodomirski has conducted himself bravely. He can accept the proposed conditions. Can he not, gentlemen? Yes, he can. He can sense, then. It is you who speaks, Major. Not Captain Zodomirski. Captain, it is folly not to accept these terms. There can be no stain to your honor. Accept. Very well. I accept. Sheave your sabers, then, gentlemen. My compliments, Captain Zodomirski. You have shown yourself a brave man in the face of death. The pistols were not loaded. What? Either of them. Fresh insult. This greater than before. Now we must fight. And the pistols will be loaded if I have to load them myself. Insert me, if you want. I've spared your life. I'll not take it now. My horse. Thank you, sir. Hold on, Sam. If you don't fight Zodomirski, you'll fight me. This is outrageous. You think that I was your second. You've acted the scoundrel. Now you shall pay. I'll have your blood. If the Major doesn't kill you, I surely shall. Get off your horse. No, Doctor. Let me at him. I can't find you all. Choose one among you and I'll fight him. Out of my way now. I have other business to attend to at the moment. Yes, Sam. Come back. Rogue. He's a disgrace to the uniform. Major, I propose we see that he resigns. This is a serious offense. He made Zodomirski go through all the sensations of a man condemned to death while he himself was at ease. I can complete the necessary ill health certificates for Stam's release. I agree, Doctor. Have we any dissenters? None at all, Major. Captains of Zodomirski are humblest apologies. It is all right, Major. Scoundrel. He's up to some. I suggest we retire to quarters for some breakfast. Look, writing toward Madame Eselravenskis. Doctor, come with me quickly before it is too late. Hurry, Doctor, hurry. She's not at the window. Something has happened. Follow me. Mariana. Mariana. Speak to me. Stand by, Captain. Let me see her. Is... Is she... Yes. It was a chronic ailment, I understand. No. Speak to me. Captain, help me lift her to the bed. I can't believe it's not true. Come away now, Captain. Come. He did it. Stam. I see it all now. The duel. The whole thing planned. So diabolically, he never meant to fight. It was his intention all the time to ride past a window to make her think I was dead. He knew her heart could never stand that shock he knew. Come away, Captain. Come away. Yes, he knew. For this, I'll make him pay for this if it's the last thing I ever do. Come back, Captain. Where are you going? I'll make him pay. I'll make... I tricked you only to test your courage. You killed Mariana. No, I did not. You did. It was your whole scheme, wasn't it? Stand. See? It trickles down your arm. Pick it up. Same kind you gave Mariana. End up like a soldier. No! But it was true. Mariana was dead. That's all of the story I know, Father. How did he come here to you? One day, night long ago, we found him unconscious on the road outside the monastery. We nursed him, and when he opened his eyes and looked at us, we were struck with the terrible sadness in them. He secluded himself meditating, trying to find some solace in his sorrow. Day by day, he wasted away, till he was the man you've seen in there. Oh, how changed he is. Father, will it be long? Only a little while. Has he any kin we can notify? No. No, he's alone. Oh, wait. Friar Chekhov. Is he... The nod of the head, and that is the final word. I see. It's over for him. Now at last, somewhere, they're together again. I've lost a great friend, Father. We've lost a great man. Ladies of the past, we have brought you the story The Duo Without Honor.